Reuters Soccer Blog

Community Blog: Closing in on the counterfeits

Police and customs officials confiscated counterfeit soccer merchanidise sold by traders in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape on Tuesday. Counterfeit Manchester United scarfs, beanies and England soccer team jerseys, among other gear, were confiscated.

Charl Potgieter, of Bowman Gilfillan Attorneys, a Sandton-based corporate law firm with offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and London, was among the confiscators.

He said the firm was representing sports companies Nike and Umbro and Manchester United Football Club. “We are here for the Fifa World Cup. We are doing enforcements on guys selling counterfeit (soccer) goods at flea markets, Fifa fan parks and around the stadiums,” said Potgieter.

He said  they were not only confiscating the goods but were also giving the “offenders”  warnings which were recorded in a book. “They can be charged R5000 for selling counterfeit goods. We are just saying to them: Look, you are not allowed to sell fake goods.”

This raised the ire of traders looking at cashing in on the national arts festival currently under way in the City of Saints (Grahamstown).

Babakar Ndaiye, a trader from Senegal said: “We feel so bad that our stock is confiscated because we buy it from the market. The officials ought to deal with importers and not retailers.” He alleged the officials did not raid the Village Green fair which was “populated by white people”.

Another trader, Julie Kapinga, from the Congo, said: “It’s not fair, these white people are bringing apartheid to South Africa. They are not doing their jobs properly. Look, we buy our stuff from well-known retail companies that I won’t name. They must approach these companies and leave us alone.”

Community Blog: Defining passion

For four years, seven Argentinean friends saved 200 dollars each every month to attend the worlds finest sporting contest, the Fifa Soccer World Cup.

They arrived in time for the match in Polokwane between Argentina and Greece. With their Argentina jerseys and distinct animal hats, Juan, Ramin, Ale, Carlos, Claudio and Ale turned heads as they entered the Polokwane Fan Park shouting “Argentina! Argentina!”.

“Saving up that much money was not easy, but we were not going to miss this World Cup. It is a first in Africa and a good reason to travel South Africa,” said Juan Manuel. They have not been in the country for long, but already they say they are reaping the fruits of their four-year labour.

“Every penny has been worth it, we are seven friends, but I am sure we will have a lot more friends when we leave here in two weeks time”.

Asked what he thought about Polokwane, Juan simply pointed to the stadium and said, “Its awesome being very close to everything, I cannot say more”.

They are not sleeping over in Polokwane, but they say they are returning for a safari after the finals.

This blog was written by a community blogger  chosen  to write  on their community’s experience of the  World Cup.

Community Blog: Barberton still supports World Cup

Residents of the small Mpumalanga mining town of Barberton say they will continue to support the world cup despite the first round exit of the national team, Bafana Bafana, from the tournament after failing to achieve the impossible odds of beating France 4-0 in order to have a long shot chance of making the next round.     Vuvuzelas could be heard all over Emjindini, Barberton’s Township, during the Bafana Bafana and France encounter on Tuesday afternoon with the sound rising to a deafening level, accompanied by wild cheers, as Bafana Bafana scored their first goal.

The scene inside a shop called Mashipisa, were about fifty had crammed in to watch the match, was near pandemonium when Bafana Bafana scored their second goal.   Shouts of “siyabashaya, siyayishaya iFrance” (we are going to beat them, we are going to beat France) reverberated through the small shop.     However, the excitement was diminished when the French netted one in the second half. And while the end result seemingly was met with disappointment, many still expressed happiness at Bafana beating a team the calibre of France in the World Cup, calling the victory “our revenge for 1998”.    

The close proximity to Nelspruit, only 40km away, one of the tournament’s host cities, gave Barberton residents the opportunity to experience the World Cup first hand. Convoys of cars leaving Barberton for Nelspruit could be seen, with flags waving on antennas and Vuvuzelas being blown out windows, when matches were held.     One resident, Duduzile Mhlanga, who was desperate to attend the opening match at the Mbombela stadium but did not have a ticket and transport but eventually made it to the Chile vs Honduras said, “I had to make a plan there was no way I was going to miss this experience its a once in a lifetime chance and it was great”.       But overall it is clear that World Cup fever has taken root in Barberton and support of the tournament has not been diminished by the first round departure of Bafana Bafana.

As a taxi driver put it on Wednesday morning, “It’s too exciting not to support it just because Bafana is out. Besides we are proud of what the country has achieved”.

This blog was written by a community blogger  chosen  to write  on their community’s experience of the  World Cup.

World Cup podcast – day 6

Join us for our latest look at the goings-on at the World Cup on the day we finally see tournament favourites Spain in action. Kevin Fylan hosts, and is joined by Paul Radford, Mike Collett, Ossian Shine, Andy Cawthorne and Owen Wyatt.

Reuters World Cup podcast – day 4

Join us for a late, late podcast from day four at the World Cup in South Africa … a frank look at some of the not so fantastic games we had today and a preview of Brazil v North Korea. Mark Gleeson, Theo Ruizennar, Pete Rutherford and Brian Homewood are the night’s victims.

A rare bright moment for North Koreans

By Jon Herskovitz

Soccer is subversive in North Korea. The North Korean authorities, who try their best to keep the masses in the dark about what goes on in the rest of the world, cannot suppress news about soccer.

A few years ago, the government refused to publish the results of an embarrassing loss to long-time foe Japan in its official media, but according to diplomatic sources in Pyongyang and refugees who fled the state, most of the country knew the results within 24 hours of the match through a word of mouth network that state censors and security agents cannot suppress.

State TV, which is filled with propaganda extolling the virtues of its socialist system and leaders, allows a brief opening to the outside world by showing soccer from the likes of professional leagues in England, Italy, Spain and elsewhere in Europe, refugees have said. Streets empty when global soccer comes on but few North Korean stay at home to watch military orchestras perform revolutionary tunes including “Song of the Coastal Artillery Women”.

In my five years on the Korean peninsula covering the North, I came to learn that soccer is a rare bright spot for one of the world’s most suppressed people and that is why I want to see the North Korean team do well.

The North’s squad is led by the charismatic striker Jong Tae-se, who was born in Japan to ethnic Koreans. Jong prefers karaoke to ideology and is know to the outside world as Asia’s Wayne Rooney but sometimes called “acorn head” by his teammates.

North Korea begin their World Cup matches on Tuesday against global superpower Brazil. They will probably be thrashed by the Samba Kings but they will also likely put on a hard-charging display that is low on theatrics and high on heart – as is their style. 

‘You call this noise? What is a million vuvuzelas?’

By Ruona Agbroko

If it hadn’t been for Nigeria’s goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, the 1-0 defeat to Argentina could have been much worse for the African side. That is one reason why the Nigerian supporter contingent, even if outnumbered by the Argentinian fans, remained upbeat throught the match.

The green-white-green stripes of the Nigerian flag were seen on toddlers, their parents and even foreigners at Ellis Park Stadium in central Johannesburg.

Jerseys, vuvuzelas, scarves and human faces were appropriately painted in a large outpouring of patriotism from one of the biggest foreign African communities in Johannesburg.

The Dutch coach has banned vuvuzelas, but Nigerians can’t understand the fuss.

“You call this noise? This is child’s play! What is a million vuvuzelas compared to the generators we hear 24 hours a day back home?” Laurence Okonkwo said, seconds before his trumpet let out a blast in the ears of an Argentinean.

The Argentinean returned the favour.

Maradona gets one over on England again

Argentina and England have one of the great soccer rivalries and although they were not playing each other on Saturday Argentina still managed to score a psychological victory over their old foes.

Diego Maradona, whose “Hand of God” goal and wonderful slalom against England in 1986 are among the most iconic images of any World Cup, emerged the undoubted victor with his astonishing touchline sideshow compared to England coach Fabio Capello’s unhappy performance.

Both teams are tipped to do well at these finals, and both started the tournament with difficult matches against tough but beatable opponents.

Both got off to excellent starts — Argentina scoring through Gabriel Heinze after six minutes of their Group B match against Nigeria and England scoring after four minutes of their Group C game against the United States with skipper Steven Gerrard firing home.

But whereas Argentina held on for a well-deserved 1-0 victory, England lost their way after conceding an equaliser following a terrible mistake from goalkeeper Robert Green, never recovered and were held to a 1-1 draw.

Irrespective of the brilliance of Lionel Messi’s performance for Argentina and the nightmare Green endured with his howler, there was another important element involved in the different outcomes for the two teams — the body language and demeanour of the two coaches, whose sides could meet in the quarter-finals.

Argentina were inspired by the passionate, energetic and at times over the top enthusiasm of Maradona, their World Cup-winning skipper in 1986.

World Cup 2010 podcast – day 1

Join us for our podcast on day one of the first African World Cup, as hosts South Africa prepare to test their growing confidence against unpredictable Mexico in front of 90,000 vuvuzela-blaring fans in Soccer City.

Click the audio box above to hear the thoughts of African football expert Mark Gleeson (@markgleesonfoot), sports editor Paul Radford, soccer editor Mike Collett (@mcfootball), the suave and sophisticated Helen Popper and Ossian Shine (@ossianshine) and your host, Kevin Fylan (@kevinfreuters).

World Cup 2010 podcast 1

Check out our first, slightly low-tech podcast featuring assorted Reuters football stattos Paul Radford, Mike Collett, Brian Homewood and the voice of African football, Mark Gleeson.

I’ll be here throughout this World Cup to discuss the big issues with our soccer correspondents from around the world. And we hope to have a better microphone next time!

And please, don’t forget to check out our live blog at http://scrbliv.me/16947 for updates on all the matches and news as it happens.